


Give Me a Kiss (To Build a Dream On)

by jsyum



Category: NCT (Band), NCT Dream
Genre: Angst, M/M, Multiple times, Na Jaemin is Whipped, They dance, all night, hella sad, i cried while writing, its the 1950s, people are being drafted, the korean war is going on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24534601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jsyum/pseuds/jsyum
Summary: its 1951 and the Korean war had just begun along with Jaemin's worst nightmare come to life.
Relationships: Lee Jeno & Na Jaemin, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Give Me a Kiss (To Build a Dream On)

**Author's Note:**

> i... cried while writing this... I hope i made it that emotional rather than me just being hella emotional lmfao, also it's like 2:30 am and i've been listening to jazz all night so... okay~

Jaemin was in his home cutting vegetables to use the next day as he stood listening to the static words on the radio. The announcer was currently updating the citizens of what had happened during that day. Their country had been in the middle of a war for about a year now with no sign of when it would end. 

His chest was tight with anxiety for at any moment someone could come to his house and demand that he prepare to be drafted, but luckily nothing had happened yet. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving his elderly parents behind when he had already become the sole caretaker for them. 

He felt the back of his eyes burn as he tried to change his thoughts into something more positive. A smile suddenly flashed in his mind and the knot in his chest slowly began to unravel. He couldn’t help but think of his partner, Jeno. 

Although they had only just begun dating, and it was to be kept a secret Jaemin still felt like he was on cloud nine. The sun felt warmer, and the air felt fresh in his lungs. His days seemed longer, but the good kind of long, the kind where you wish they’d never end. Everything seemed new and exciting. It felt like just what he had needed ever since his brother had been taken away by the war and had yet to come back, or to even write for that matter. 

Being with Jaemin felt like dancing in the rain, or running through the fields. Things he had forgotten about as years passed him by and life had taken him by the shoulders and shoved him to the ground. 

He smiled as he recalled the other night when the two snuck out together to watch the stars. The stars had seemed brighter that night, too. He didn’t know if it was because they were away from the city, in the middle of nowhere or if it was because he was with Jeno. He liked to think it was the latter. 

As he picked up the cutting board full of cut vegetables his front door slid open, slamming against the wall with a hard bang causing Jaemin to jump, vegetables falling to the ground. He looked up to see Jeno standing in the entrance, a distressed look on his face as sweat dripped down his forehead, crumpled papers in his hand. 

“Jeno, what’s wrong?” Jaemin puts the board back down and steps close to Jeno, the sound of his labored breathing mixing with the static of the radio. 

“Jeno, are you okay?” Jaemin’s voice fills with concern as he steps closer putting his hands up to reach out and touch him but he stops short, afraid that he’s hurt physically. 

“Jaem,” He huffed looking down at the ground and shakily handing him the papers. Jaemin scans over them and he gasps, a hand covering his mouth as he looks at Jeno. His eyes filling to the brim with tears threatening to spill as he stands there speechless. 

“You’re lying,” He stutters shaking his head, the motion causing his tears to fall like a steady stream down his cheek, drops breaking at his jaw and dripping onto the floor. He stares at the papers again and looks Jeno in the eyes. He in return clenched his jaw to keep his chin from trembling but his bloodshot eyes revealed the truth. 

That he wasn’t lying and he in fact had been called into action. 

Jaemin lets out an accidental sob as he closes his eyes and the next thing he knows he’s engulfed in warmth. Jeno had wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. Jaemin knees buckle as he clasps the back of Jeno’s shirt trying to pull him even closer. So close that they mesh into one so he never has to let him go. 

He couldn’t believe it, just when he had reached top tier euphoria it was being ripped away from him. It took awhile for him to calm down, for the both of them actually. Although Jeno wasn’t outwardly crying Jaemin could tell he was anxious by how loud his heart was beating out of his chest. Each time he thought he was ready to pull away his heart tightened and instead he pulled him closer. 

“When do you leave?” He finally asks, his head buried in his shoulder. 

“It says it’s urgent.” Jaemin sucks in a sharp breath of air as he feels tears reemerge. 

“Please don’t go,” He sobs, he really does try to merge their bodies together to somehow join them at the hip. 

“You know I have to go Jaem…” He nudges his face into the nape of Jaemin’s neck, breathing in his scent. 

“But I love you,” He cries harder and a lump forms in Jeno’s throat. He never knew that a first time love confession could sound so sorrowful. He pulls away from Jaemin, much to his refusal to stare at him face to face. 

“What?” He heard him the first time, he just wanted him to say it again. Jaemin avoids eye contact, but Jeno continues to stare at his puffy eyes, red nose, and flushed cheeks as if it were the most astonishing thing in the world. 

“I said I love you.” He pouts. 

“Well how can I leave you now?” Jeno asks, tone lighter than before trying his best to lighten the heavy atmosphere around them. He sees Jaemin chuckle but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. Jeno runs a hand through Jaemin’s hair who closes his eyes and leans in to the touch. 

“Where are your parents?” Jeno asks, finally looking around.

“They went to bed earlier,” He says, hand still grasping at the fabric of Jeno’s shirt, like a small child. 

“Jaem, what’s one thing you’d like to do before I leave? Hm?” He questions, bringing him to his living room sitting down on the sofa, pulling Jaemin down with him. 

“Convince you not to go…” He sniffs, and it physically hurts Jeno to see the love of his life so sad. 

“Something legal,” 

“Dance with you,” He whispers, leaning his head into Jeno’s chest to hear the rhythmic thumping of his heart.

“Dance?” Jeno thought it was a bit of an odd request but he couldn’t say no. “Okay.” He complies standing up and walking to the record player starting it, and the soft melodic jazz begins to pour out of the horn. Jeno walks back to Jaemin and holds his hand out. 

“May I have this dance?” He smiles, trying to push away the heaviness he feels in his whole body. 

“You may,” Jaemin finally smiles at him, but he can’t help but notice his eyes brimming with tears yet again. Jeno pulls him in so their chest to chest as he wraps one arm around his waist, and the other takes Jaemin’s hand in his own. Jaemin’s free hand reaches up to rest at the back of Jeno’s neck, his fingers splayed out through his hairs. They sway slowly, in beat with the music. As the husky voice of Louis Armstrong begins to play Jeno softly sings along. 

“Give me a kiss to build a dream on,” He sings in a whisper, to not wake up Jaemin’s parents. He lightly spins Jaemin out before bringing him back in. 

Jaemin stares at Jeno, trying to memorize every feature on his face. He wishes he could count each eyelash, eyebrow hair, pore on his face knowing it could take forever, but he still wants to so that way Jeno would never have to leave his sight. But he knows it’s just something he can’t do, no matter how hard he wishes, instead all he can do is enjoy the flush of their bodies , the warmth that Jeno gives off, the way he smells, the way his hair feels in his hand, the sound of him breathing as he sings. 

“Give me a kiss before you leave me,” Jaemin’s bottom lip quivered against Jeno’s as they kissed, Jaemin let out another accidental sob which Jeno ate up causing them both to smile through the sadness. Jaemin laid his head on Jeno’s shoulder, grip tightening on his hand as they continued to sway back and forth listening to the music, to the sounds of their unsteady breathing, the faint chirps of the crickets outside. 

Eventually the record had long stopped playing, yet they still danced together until the sun came up, though with each passing second Jaemin wished the sun would disappear altogether. He would rather live in eternal darkness than spend a day without Jeno. The chirping of the crickets eventually faded into the chirping of birds, and the faint bustling of the city could be heard from the living room window. Jeno began to pull away slowly and Jaemin knew what that meant. He didn’t want to let go but he knew he had to. 

Jeno kissed his lips, his nose, then his forehead, and once more on his lips before pulling away completely. 

“I’ll be back okay? And when we come back we’ll run away to some place to get married okay?” Jaemin’s eyes stung, and his lip quivered, but he nodded in agreement. 

Jeno pulled him in one last time, making sure to give him one last squeeze before picking up his papers and heading to the door. He stopped one last time to look at Jaemin. 

“I love you! Wait for me okay?” He smiled, but this smile was different from the other ones Jaemin had seen that night. It was one full of hope, and all Jaemin could do was smile back, and nod. 

He would wait for sure, even though it meant waiting a lifetime.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! please share, leave kudos, or comments I really like to know how my writing makes others feel, anyways thanks for reading :)


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